Chapter 22
Chapter Twenty-Two
ZAIN
Around two hours after we’d arrived back at the institute, I found myself gently brushing through Arabella’s wet hair as we sat around her bedroom talking quietly—as if there weren’t enemy forces right outside our wall. As if it was any other night and our home wasn’t under threat.
Everyone appeared relaxed right now, but I knew it was mostly a guise, mainly to keep Arabella in her relaxed, sleepy, post-bath state.
Something she deserved after the last hour, which had been possibly the most stressful debrief I’d ever been part of.
Considering everything we’d been through, that was saying something.
I was just happy I had managed to convince her to take a bath in the first place, because I knew her brilliant mind was whirring as it overanalyzed and expanded upon the information that was presented, coming up with ideas for possible plans moving forward.
Right now we didn’t have a set plan, but we had information, and it had been decided—no doubt after her father realized how exhausted we all were—that we would handle the planning with fresh eyes.
It was probably a good idea, especially because the nature of our problem—the weapons the humans had as well as War’s possible plans—was extremely complicated.
We didn’t want to kill humans if we could help it, at least not extensively, because it would hurt nightmares more than it would help them.
We would be viewed as the villains no matter what, but an entire civilian MAM army slaughtered outside of our gates wasn’t a good look, and call me crazy, but I didn’t think these bastards would retreat, especially if they were under influence from a god terror.
My chest squeezed as my magic sent a warning vibration through my body.
Something bad was looming over us, and it made me wonder if waiting a night was the right move.
I hesitated to bring it up, but reading the energy of large groups was my specialty—it was part of what we fed off of during apocalyptic events.
That chaos, that supercharge of emotion.
Because of that, I usually listened to my instincts on these things, and I didn’t want to go to bed and wake up to a direct attack going on.
“I think we need to keep watch tonight.”
“Why do you think that?” Razar asked, snapping his gaze to me. I could feel that Arabella had tensed slightly, making me know she was listening, as I continued to brush through her hair.
“I could be just overly worried,” I admitted, “but something feels off about tonight. I feel like we are missing something major, and if they were going to attack, it would be when we’re the least prepared.
We’ve had forces out there for days to monitor them, and no doubt some have started trading off in shifts, which means our numbers have shrunk.
On top of that, they are probably tired of waiting the humans out…
Which means it would be the perfect time to attack. ”
Silence followed my statement at first.
“You’re right.” Saint cursed. “You’re totally fucking right. He did the same thing in the 4th century.”
I didn’t bother asking for specifics. With Saint, I found it easier to just move on and take the information at face value. Saint was one of my best friends, I admitted that easily, but his perception of time and how long ago that actually was… Well, it was a bit off.
“So we think he will attack tonight?” Arabella’s voice was slightly higher than normal with tension.
I put down the brush, and she turned her body to face the rest of the room.
I noticed that she curled her fingers over the soft sleeves of her robe, probably because she was feeling slightly on edge.
The most amazing part—well, the part I found amazing, at least—was the reason why.
I knew Arabella wasn’t worried about herself—she was worried about everyone else who called this place home. I felt honored to be included when it came to her fierce loyalty and protective attitude. It was one of many things that I loved about her.
“I think it’s a possibility,” Saint hedged.
“Fuck,” Blackwell snarled.
“What do we do?” Damian asked.
“We could approach them tonight,” Cy suggested. “I have no doubt War is out there.”
“I don’t want any threat around her,” Ashur said from where he stood examining Arabella’s desk, piled with books and papers. Bella was normally very neat, but her desk seemed to be her one outlet for chaos.
“Agreed,” Amun grunted. “Precious, if we go to approach him, I need you to stay in this room.”
Razar chuckled softly as Arabella shook her head, her eyes filled with understanding but also a hard resolve that I had learned to not argue with.
“Absolutely not.” She leaned back against me, and I buried my nose against her throat.
“I understand your concern, I really do, but I am going to defend my home just like you want to… Plus, I don’t think approaching him is the best solution—what if he chooses to not come out?
The only thing that it will reveal is that you are aware of him. ”
“He will,” Saint insisted. “Especially if we use his ego against him. With that being said, flower, I don’t want him seeing you. War hunts sis metas for sport, and I know he would view you as part of this game somehow.”
Arabella nodded in understanding. I knew she didn’t want to sit back and do nothing, but she also understood the possible threat her presence could cause.
Plus, none of us would be able to focus if she was right there in War’s sight, especially if he started to say some idiotic shit that caused us to feel possessive.
I hadn’t met War, but I already had a picture in my head of what he was like, and it wasn’t someone I enjoyed being around.
“Okay, what about this.” Arabella paused as if fully thinking through her plan. “We go out there—hold on—”
I nearly laughed at that because it was clear half of my teammates were already ready to argue.
“I will stay in the back of the group. If you bring the other god terrors, War will be so distracted with all of you that he won’t notice me, and then you can talk directly to him.
Irina should come with us, but she probably won’t want to talk to her brother, I’m guessing? So she can stay in the back with me.”
I was beyond curious to see how the director would react to his mate going out there.
I nearly smiled at that, wondering how the hell none of us had realized he was a nightmare.
Maybe because he was so powerful that he could hide it, or maybe because the institute was so directly tied to his magic, making it function the way it did.
Either way, finding out he was romantically involved with someone was mind-blowing to me, considering what a stoic robot he often came across as.
“She won’t,” Saint agreed.
“Alright.” Arabella nodded. “Everyone cool with doing that?”
“Yeah,” Damian grunted.
“I’ll let the director know.” Razar stood, walking over to her and kissing her forehead as Cy followed him out.
“I need to gather all these other bastards,” Saint muttered. “Damian, Blackwell, Ashur, Amun—you guys are coming with me. I’m going to need your help.”
“With what?” I asked, amused, thankful for Saint because I knew he was giving me a moment with Arabella.
“My sister has locked Order away again. We have to get him out.” He shook his head. Arabella let out an amused sound as they filed out, leaving me in bed with my love. She tilted her head back as I gathered her in my arms, bringing us to lay down as I tucked her head underneath my chin.
“I hope this works,” she said softly. “I don’t want this to break out into a full war if we can prevent it.”
But she also knew that it may happen, and the ease with which she handled that information was honestly a bit terrifying.
I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that Arabella was scared of nothing—literally nothing—except for maybe the thought of us being hurt in some way.
“I don’t know what war is like,” I said, “but if Love and Chaos could be talked into working with us, maybe we can talk War down.”
I honestly didn’t have much hope, but it was a nice thought.
“Maybe.” She hesitated. “I just don’t want anyone here to get hurt.”
I nodded in understanding as a thoughtful yet relaxed silence fell over us. Almost immediately, my memories began to trickle in from one of the first times I had held Arabella like this and how amazing it had been.
“I can totally stay up,” Bella argued, her eyes drooping with exhaustion.
I grinned, knowing that my effort to get her to go to bed upstairs would eventually win out.
She had been working herself to the bone lately after processing a fair number of new nightmares here at the institute, so I had suggested a relaxing movie night.
But we hadn’t even started the movie and she was already falling asleep.
“You’re exhausted—”
“Let’s watch the movie, and if I fall asleep, then at least we are still sort of spending time together.
” Arabella yawned, her nose scrunching in this adorable way I’d come to love.
Right now she was in an oversized shirt and leggings, her body tucked against mine, but as I nodded and turned on the movie, she slid further into me.
I had no idea how, but we ended up cuddling as she fell asleep about five minutes into the movie.
A movie I couldn’t even tell you the name of.
Instead I savored the fact that I was holding her in my arms, and when I did finally fall asleep, it was with the wish that we could fall asleep together every night.
And now we would have that. Once all of this was over and done with, we would be able to have a life together.
One that I had never thought was possible.
Not only because I had assumed she was human, but because never in a million years would I have guessed it was possible for someone like Arabella to love me.
I had spent so much of my life assuming I was unlovable, but Arabella proved all of that wrong. She changed everything the day I met her.
“Zain?” Arabella’s soft voice called to me, and I looked down to see her determined yet calm gaze.
I knew that she was catering to our concerns, saying she would stay in the back of the group.
I believed she would do so, but the woman was ready to go to war.
It didn’t surprise me. Arabella was so many things—smart, brave, passionate—but her nature didn’t allow for her to overlook this slight. This threat.
“Time to get ready?” I asked.
She nodded. “I want to handle this.”
And I would help her. This was the woman who proved to me I deserved love, and if it was a solution she wanted to this mess, I would do my damn best to provide it…
Even if it meant going to war.